Quantifying the impact of woodpecker predation on population dynamics of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

PloS One
David E JenningsPaula M Shrewsbury

Abstract

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) since it was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1990s. Understanding how predators such as woodpeckers (Picidae) affect the population dynamics of EAB should enable us to more effectively manage the spread of this beetle, and toward this end we combined two experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of woodpecker predation on EAB populations. First, we examined wild populations of EAB in ash trees in New York, with each tree having a section screened to exclude woodpeckers. Second, we established experimental cohorts of EAB in ash trees in Maryland, and the cohorts on half of these trees were caged to exclude woodpeckers. The following spring these trees were debarked and the fates of the EAB larvae were determined. We found that trees from which woodpeckers were excluded consistently had significantly lower levels of predation, and that woodpecker predation comprised a greater source of mortality at sites with a more established wild infestation of EAB. Additionally, there was a considerable difference between New York and Maryland in the effect that woodpecker predation h...Continue Reading

References

Mar 24, 1978·Science·J H Connell
Apr 19, 2008·Environmental Entomology·Anne L NielsenDeepak Matadha
Oct 1, 2010·Journal of Insect Science·Xiao-Yi WangEn-shan Liu

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